


Hell or High Water(Drowning)

by doiedays



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Bittersweet Ending, Blind Character, Demons, Fluff and Angst, Forbidden Love, M/M, Sad Ending, Secret Identity, Seemingly One-Sided Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-15 07:36:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29555739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doiedays/pseuds/doiedays
Summary: Doyoung is blind. A touch on the shoulder, a shiver of breath, he turns and smiles. He doesn't know. He would never know. The man he fell in love with, is a demon.
Relationships: Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung & Lee Taeyong, Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung/Nakamoto Yuta, Lee Taeyong & Nakamoto Yuta
Comments: 4
Kudos: 67
Collections: Challenge #5 — I heard a secret..





	Hell or High Water(Drowning)

**Author's Note:**

> Title from the song "Hell or High Water" by The Neighbourhood

  
  


"What do you think you're doing Yuta?"

He glances up for a brief second before continuing with his previous task.

"Filing my nails, what does it look like?" 

Taeyong hisses at that, "Stop pretending you don't know what I mean!"

Yuta sighs and lowers his nail file. Taeyong looks as if he rushed here. His hair, that usually is styled to perfection, is in a disarray. He's still out of breath, but his determination is stronger. They stare at each other, both refusing to talk first.

After a few minutes, Taeyong backs down. Yuta watches as he takes a deep breath and puts his hands on his hips. 

"Doyoung said you took him to the beach." Taeyong's stare could burn holes through Yuta's head. 

"Felt like checkin' out the ocean breeze. There's only so long I can stay cooped up here before my body gets antsy," replies Yuta. Taeyong looks more awkward now. Well, it's all because of him that he's here.

Taeyong makes a move as if to touch his hair, but decides against it. He looks down while thinking and makes a face.

"You shouldn't be bringing Doyoung with you…" 

Yuta hums at that and crosses his legs with a smirk. Taeyong is so easy to read, he makes it hard to not tease him. Taeyong looks up at Yuta and glares.

"What? Think I'm going to taint his pure heart?" Yuta grins at the sputtering Taeyong, "Well, news flash! That boy's heart had been corrupted long ago."

Taeyong, red faced and puffed cheeks, glares harder than before. 

"Stop joking around! You know nothing good will happen if you keep taking him places like he's your  _ date _ !" 

Yuta rolls his eyes at that. Taeyong is so predictable, it's kind of pathetic. Seeing as how the human is already so worked up, Yuta decides to keep this comment to himself.

"I'm not the one at fault here, ya know? Doyoung  _ asked _ me to take him." Initially, Yuta was surprised to see the boy at his door. Every other time, it was Yuta that pursued him. 

Taeyong makes another face at that, "Just don't cause any trouble, okay? If anything happens, I'll have to send you away."

A silence falls over the room, both knowing the consequences if such a thing were to happen. It's a fate they both can't escape, and yet, they try to fight anyway.

"Don't worry," Yuta says, not looking at Taeyong, "I'll be a good boy. I've lived long enough to learn how." He doesn't say anything in response, just stares at Yuta with pitiful eyes. 

Typical humans, showing sympathy to those who have no need for it. 

Yuta doesn't mind.

  
  


_

  
  


He met Doyoung on the same day as Taeyong. 

It was autumn. The leaves, a bright assortment of colors, were piled on the ground. Yuta sat atop a branch with his back against the bark. His legs lay hanging as he got lost in the sun's rays.

The crunch of the leaves took his attention. He looked down at the noise and tilted his head. A human, huh?

The boy looked younger than the other ones he knew that lived nearby. Perhaps he was a son or a family friend of theirs. Well, it's not like it matters anyway. Yuta is like air to those with no sense for the supernatural. An existence so insignificant that not even the devil himself would care.

He watched as the human trudged through the leaves, a hand reaching out towards the tree. A pause, breaths visible through the chill. Slowly, his other hand crept higher and higher, standing on his toes. Suspended in the air like that, Yuta wasn't sure  _ what _ he was doing. 

What felt like forever, happened only in a second.

A touch.

A touch so gentle, it could hold a star.

"Why are you up in a tree?" The gentle voice carried through the wind. 

Yuta's mouth opened, a reply on the tongue and a question in his mind.

"This place has the best view... You knew I was here?"

"Hm, well, even if I can't see you, I could feel that we weren't alone," says the boy. He lets go of Yuta's ankle and lowers himself back to his original height. Yuta leans forward and observes the boy.

Eyes unfocused, staring towards Yuta's direction, and yet, it was a little  _ off _ .

"You could feel? How?" Yuta quietly asked.

The boy lowers his head toward the ground, "it's kind of complicated…" 

He brings both his hands together and clenches them to his chest. It's a peculiar sight. This human, who came up so confidently to an identity unknown to him, suddenly curling into himself like he could break from just the wind. 

"What's your name?"

"Huh? Oh, it's-"

"Doyoung!" One of the boys shouts from a distance, separating from the group he was with. He runs up to them with a worried look to his face.

"Taeyong?" Doyoung asks, startled at the sudden noise. He lifts his head and turns in the direction of the new voice.

"What are you doing over here?" asks Taeyong, grabbing Doyoung's hands, "You know you're not supposed to leave me behind…"

Doyoung seems to fumble at that, "Ah, but-" Taeyong continues to fuss over him, smoothing out his fingers. Yuta stops listening when his eyes start to focus on the intricate lines decorating their palms.

He catches Taeyong's eye while he observes the two. Yuta's never seen anyone change expressions as fast as he did then. One minute, Taeyong's fussing over Doyoung, the next, he's looking at Yuta like he's gum stuck on a shoe. He turns away from Yuta, and drags Doyoung with him, ignoring all the protests falling from the boy's mouth.

Yuta takes another look at the matching deep crimson, trailing from palm to elbow, lines and shapes forming their own sort of language. 

And, it clicks.

A hunter's mark. Of course, Taeyong wouldn't think fondly of him. And, Doyoung would think the same, they were  _ enemies _ after all. The only time they should get close is when they're going to kill each other. 

A demon.

That's what Yuta is.

It's what he is and will always be.

  
  


_

  
  


Walking through the streets, there's a certain feeling of serenity from being alone. The cars rushing past, the people strolling by, Yuta joins them all. His thoughts give him company.

A drop of water soon lands on his cheek. Yuta raises his head to watch and sees the clouds looking uglier than before. He turns his head to look at the other people on the street as they pull out their umbrellas. He can practically hear Doyoung nag him in his head already.

As the rain slowly increases its intensity, Yuta moves over to stand under an overhang. Demons can't get sick due to conditions like this, but Doyoung doesn't know that. He closes his eyes and leans against the wall. The rain echoes in his mind, it's repetition is enough to calm his thoughts.

Doyoung doesn't know a lot of things. Doesn't know why he leaves all the time. Doesn't know why he doesn't talk about himself. Doesn't know what he is. Doesn't know his feelings.

Yuta slowly opens his eyes, rain continues to fall, the cars and pedestrians rush past. 

Life is still the same.

He straightens up from the wall and looks down the street, trying to find a store that might sell an umbrella. Yuta likes the rain, but he doesn't want to be stuck here. He doesn't spot any nearby, but he does see a familiar figure.

Doyoung, like Yuta, is standing under an overhang. He's bundled up warmly in front of a cafe, Taeyong not in sight. When he watches him like this, he forgets about the guilt crawling up his spine. Though Yuta could stay here longer, he thinks it would be a little creepy.

He slithers his way over to where Doyoung is, in an effort to surprise him. Normally, Doyoung is perceptive enough to notice his presence before he does anything, but today, the boy seems distracted. Yuta sneaks around his back and takes the scarf Doyoung was wearing off his neck.

Doyoung gasps in surprise and turns his head, "Yuta?"

"Yep, what're you doing here all by yourself? Where's Taeyong?" Yuta asked, inspecting the scarf in his hands. The material is warm and ever so soft. 

"He went to get us an umbrella," responds Doyoung. Yuta hums in response and comes closer to Doyoung.

"The scarf looks new, did you buy it?" He lifts the scarf and loosely wraps it around the boy's neck, stepping back when he's finished. He looks cute.

Doyoung reaches up and tugs on a part of the fabric, "It was a gift from Taeyong."

Yuta looks away and watches the rain collect in puddles on the street. He brings a palm out and feels the drops land in his hand; the water drips off the sides and falls back onto the ground. He glances over at Doyoung and brings his hand back to his side.

"Dance in the rain with me?" Yuta quietly asked, gently nudging Doyoung in the side. He moves to face Yuta's direction and scrunches his face.

"We're going to get sick if we do that," responds Doyoung.

"Oh, c'mon Doyoung! Lighten up a little!" Yuta whines while grabbing the boy's hand.

"No."

"Please? I've always wanted to try it…"

"..."

Doyoung stands there as he lets Yuta swing their hands back and forth, a thoughtful look on his face. 

If people were to look at them, Doyoung would look like a crazy person. So, Yuta decides to be nice and show himself. It's a weird feeling, the demon doesn't think he'll ever really get used to it. He feels a little dizzy from the changing sensations, but he'll be alright.

Doyoung lets out a huff of amusement, his face a tinge of pink, "Fine, lead the way."

Yuta smiles bright, he takes Doyoung's other hand in his and starts walking backwards into the rain. Even though he knows what's coming, he still gets shocked by the onslaught of cold drops. Cold, and yet, their connected hands bring them all the warmth they need.

Yuta brings one of Doyoung's hands up to wrap around his neck, and he moves his own to hold onto the boy's waist. Their steps echo with a splash from the puddles laid around them. Yuta gently leads him, they dance to a rhythm only  _ they _ can hear. 

Doyoung steps on Yuta's feet too many times to count, but Yuta just bursts into giggles without a care in the world. Doyoung, red faced from embarrassment, joins with a laugh of his own. Clothes completely soaked, they continue moving around each other, faces filled with glee. Yuta raises his hand and gives Doyoung a spin, which he returns right back. 

Warm.

His heart feels warm.

Another spin leads to Doyoung losing his balance, he teeters to the side but Yuta is quick to readjust him in his arms. They're practically hugging now, he can feel Doyoung's breath on the side of his neck, goosebumps rise along his back. 

They're silent, unmoving, a picture stopped in time.

  
  
  


"Yuta…?"

  
  
  


And, suddenly, he's back to the present.

Doyoung looks confused as Yuta hurriedly unwraps himself from their embrace. He steps back with a splash, combing his hair with his hands, Yuta turns pale.

"Ah...I just remembered that I had to do something…" Yuta's heart clenches when he sees Doyoung's face fall.

"So suddenly?"

"Yeah...It's  _ really _ important, so, I need to leave…I'll see you later." Yuta says through his teeth, already backing away from the boy. Not being able to bear the sight of Doyoung's disappointment, Yuta closes his eyes and turns around. He only makes it a few steps before he feels it.

He opens his eyes and looks down, the scarf Doyoung had been wearing previously, now blocked his path. The soft fabric pulled across his waist to keep him still, Doyoung stood behind him with the ends wrapped tight around his hands. The rain continues to fall, Yuta's heart beats faster.

"Don't go…" whispers Doyoung, a slight tremble in his voice. He stood stock still, the sound of the rain was nonexistent at that point, Doyoung's voice had his sole attention. He felt a thump on his back, Doyoung's forehead rested on Yuta's shoulder. Yuta opened his mouth to say something but found his mouth completely dry, no words came to him. He heard Doyoung take in a deep breath and release it.

"I like you, Yuta," he said, nuzzling his head further, "I like you a lot…" the last word broke at the end, like he would start crying any second.

Cold.

Ice cold.

  
  
  


_

  
  
  


"He confessed to you."

Yuta looks over his shoulder at Taeyong, standing in the doorway of Yuta's room. He doesn't give an answer as he continues stuffing his few belongings into a bag.

"He confessed to you, and you left him." Taeyong's voice is unreadable. Yuta expected anger for sure, maybe even sadness, but this, he's not sure what this is. Taeyong walks away from the door, arms crossed and comes behind Yuta.

"What are you doing?" asks Taeyong.

Yuta gives a brief glance at him, "I'm leaving."

"You're WHAT?!" Taeyong exclaims in surprise, his eyes opened wide, a speechless look on his face. Yuta zips up his bag and swings it over one shoulder, he turns to face Taeyong directly.

"I'm leaving. It's not a good idea for me to stay here any longer."

Taeyong makes another face at that, he blinks several times at the demon, eyebrows furrowed.

"Where are you going to go?"

Yuta shrugs, "I'm not sure, maybe another country…"

"This is all so sudden," he says, lowering his arms. Yuta looks away, if he has to hear any more from Taeyong, he might change his mind.

"Well, it was fun. Goodbye." Yuta tries to hurry past Taeyong, but he's stopped by a tug on his shirt. He looks over at Taeyong and sees him clutching a part of Yuta's shirt in a tight grip.

"Wait," Taeyong whispers, "don't go. Not yet." He bites his bottom lip, eyes glistening. Yuta doesn't respond, he just watches Taeyong try and hold back his tears.

"W-What if they find you?"

"The hunters? Don't worry Taeyong, I know how to take care of myself." Yuta replies, a small smile on his face as he reaches a hand up and pats him on the head.

"What about Doyoung? What am I…What do I-"

"It'll be  _ alright, _ you do a good job taking care of him, and guess what? He wants to take care of you too," Taeyong's tears fall after he says that. Yuta combs through Taeyong's hair with his fingers as the boy lets out a sob.

"B-But what about  _ me _ ?"

Yuta moves a thumb underneath Taeyong's eye and wipes away a tear, "I know you like him, you guys will be happy together." 

Yuta's heart gives another pang as he leans forward and brushes a kiss to the side of his head. 

  
  
  
  
  


_ "I'll keep your memory with me," _

  
  
  


_

  
  
  


Doyoung closes the door behind him with a thump. He leans his back against the wood and lets out a sigh. A meeting at this time of the year, what was his dad  _ thinking _ ? It was as annoying as any other time he had been forced to come. The constant idolization and worrying did nothing but make him want to disappear into the abyss.

_ "How does one so powerful, such as you, deal with having no sight?" _

Are you sure you want to know? Because if so, I know a way you can experience  _ both _ at  _ once _ . Thoughts like this fill his mind often, though, he could never say it to them out loud. He feels along his palm for the marks he knows to be carved into his skin, just a touch is enough to warm up his body. Doyoung shakes his head at himself, he pushes his frustrations to the back of his mind and walks further into his apartment.

Doyoung takes off his outerwear and stretches, Taeyong, seeing how tired he looked, insisted he go on ahead of him. He's about to walk into the kitchen when he senses the change. Like if the air were to engulf his body, only one person he knows can make him feel like this.

He spins around as quick as he can and steps closer to the being he knows to be there, "Yuta? Is that you?"

No answer is given.

Doyoung steps closer and raises a hand aimlessly.

"Yuta?"

Suddenly, a breeze comes out of nowhere, leaving a chill and the smell of autumn in its wake. 

He feels a brush against his cheek and a whisper of breath.

  
  
  
  
  


_ "Let's meet again in another life," _

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> aaaand it's finished! 
> 
> In the future, I'd like to come back and make a sequel explaining things that I couldn't due to the word count constriction. 
> 
> Things like why Taeyong and Doyoung are almost always together, how Yuta became connected to them, Doyoung's blindness, and more!  
> Maybe give them a happy ending, maybe even a slight relationship change ;)
> 
> Thanks for reading! Have a nice day/night!


End file.
